In our last post we talked about the importance of creating a balanced team of employees. Your employees probably spend time with their coworkers than they do their own family members. That's why it's important that they enjoy the people they work with. Unfortunately, just one toxic employee can destroy your workplace harmony and make everyone unhappy about coming to work. When this happens you can quickly find yourself in a hiring crisis and facing other business disasters. Keep reading for some tips on identifying a toxic employee, what to do if you already have one on staff, and how you can use Stockpile simple inventory solution to free up your time so that you can focus on other business matters.
Spotting the Red Flags in the Interview
Remember when you're interviewing candidates you need to be looking for any red flags that could signal potential employee issues. All too often interviewers find themselves looking for reasons to hire someone rather than reasons not to hire them. Putting on your rose colored glasses and only seeing the best in candidates can set your business up for issues down the road. Someone who has job hopped in the past may have had difficulty getting along with coworkers. If a candidate has a history of changing jobs every six months to a year, be sure that you ask them why they left each position. Negative comments about previous employers can be a big red flag. Blaming others for their issues and not taking responsibility for their own actions can be a personality trait that is hard to deal with in the workplace. Even vague answers about why they left a position can be cause for concern. If there is something they aren't saying you should definitely dig deeper to get to the truth of the matter.
You'll also want to check candidates' references. Don't just take their word for their previous work history. Talking to former managers and coworkers can give you a more balanced view of a candidate. Even if former employers are prohibited from giving negative reviews you'll usually get a sense of what they're not saying.
Trial Period
Hiring a new employee on a trial basis can be a great way to ensure they're a good fit before you bring them on permanently. It can be difficult to terminate an employee, even if you have just cause. To avoid this scenario make it clear upfront that their employment is only temporary in the beginning. That way if they aren't a good fit you can simply choose not to extend a permanent offer at the end of the trial period. This is the best way to see how people really work together. Anyone can make a great impression for an hour in an interview. Working on a team day in and day out for several weeks is when you really see their true self.
Don't Let One Bad Employee Ruin Things for Everyone
If you have an employee who is bringing negativity into the workplace or making things more difficult for other employees you'll need to do something about it. This typically isn't a situation that fixes itself. If someone is getting away with slacking off and having others do their work for them it is unlikely they are just going to wake up one morning and decide this is wrong. Someone who gossips or makes others uncomfortable with comments may not recognize or have the desire to change their behavior without encouragement. As the boss, it's your job to step in and be the agent of change. A happy workplace keeps your employees happy and more productive. As difficult as it may be to step in and deal with the issue, it will absolutely be worth it in the long run.
Where to Find the Time?
Wondering where you're going to find the time to devote to employee morale boosting? Let Stockpile handle your inventory issues. Creating item records is quick and easy. Once you have your data in the system you'll be able to access item locations, stock counts, order history and so much more. Running reports is quick and easy. That makes end of the year and tax accounting simple. Need to know what to reorder? Just a few clicks and you'll have all the answers you need. Want to access your data on the go? Stockpile is mobile compatible so all you need is internet access and you can see your inventory from anywhere. Stockpile simple inventory solution provides so many benefits for your small business and it's free to use so what have you got to lose? Try Stockpile today!
